There has been a technology of accessing an image forming apparatus such as a multi-functional peripheral from an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer (PC) and displaying an operation screen which is the same as a content displayed in the image forming apparatus on the information processing apparatus in order to remotely operate functions of the image forming apparatus through the operation screen. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-65053 discloses a technology in which a multi-functional peripheral performs user authentication of a user who gains access thereto from a PC for a remote operation, and when the user authentication of the user is successful, information of the user such as a user ID is displayed on an operation screen of the multi-functional peripheral to show that the external terminal is being connected thereto by the authenticated user.
In addition to the above-described remote operation technology, there has been proposed a similar technology of remotely monitoring the presence/absence of unauthorized use or a normal operating state.
Also as to a user who performs remote monitoring by the information processing apparatus, showing that the external terminal is being connected by displaying the user information on the operation screen in the case of user authentication like the technology disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-65053 causes the fact that the remote monitoring is being performed to be known by others.